DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/3/26 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Howard [US 2010/0290238].
As to claim 1, Howard discloses a lighting system [10, figure 3], comprising: a housing [12] having cavity [34], an area [26], and a support surface [16]; the area being at least one item selected from the group consisting of a translucent area, a transparent area, and an open area [26 is an open area, see figure 3]; a flammable candle [42 and 46] atop the support surface [see figure 3]; a discrete light emission point (DLEP) [14] positioned in the cavity for emitting light through the area toward the flammable candle [upwards in figure 3]; a power source [12b]; and a controller [40, figure 4] in communication with the DLEP and the power source to actuate the DLEP.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Alternative embodiments of this type of lighted candle are taught by Rein [see PTO-892], Ng, Hau, Yang, Fang, Gerson, Li, Li, Morrison, Cheng.
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/BRYON T GYLLSTROM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875